The Kids Aren't Alright
by Eka Fricai un Shur'tugal
Summary: Skye Miller/Clay Jensen romance, based on the show, starting off at the end of season 1. Contains more mature content, such as death and addiction.
1. Chapter 1

Clay Jensen was driving (finally) to the Crestmont Theater, a place he had been to so many times before. Painful memories still lingered there, though he had finally begun to overcome his grief, and he could return to the place that reminded him so much of Hannah Baker.

He looked over at the seat next to him. Skye Miller had only just come back into his life, taking an ever more important role. At the moment, she was a very close friend going to see a new movie with him.

She noticed him looking at her, and he looked away quickly, feeling his heart beating faster. He couldn't help it: she was prettier tonight than he had ever remembered seeing her. He had always thought of her as a friend, but recently, he began to look at her in a romantic light, something his friend Tony Padilla had taken a little too much joy in hearing. "You sly dog, you've got a crush on your childhood friend," Tony had said once he put the pieces together.

"Yeah, yeah, you did too."

Clay smiled at the thought of Tony's shocked face when he hit the nail on the head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Skye looking at him intently, as though she was studying his face. He blushed, keeping his gaze on the road. After a few minutes of awkward silence, they finally arrived at the theater, getting out.

Clay took a deep breath. It had been a while. He gave up the job shortly after Hannah's death. "You okay?" Skye asked him.

"Yeah. Let's go inside."

Skye Miller was riding in the passenger seat of Clay Jensen's car. How weird it was to be in a car, alone, with her old childhood friend. "Time passes on, I guess," she thought.

She had to admit, as much as Clay had gone through thanks to Hannah, there was a lot about him that was the same as when he was her friend in middle school and junior high. He was nerdy, he was shy, but most of all, he was insufferably cute.

What's more, he was impervious to any and all advances she made on him. She was beginning to think that she'd have to just outright ask him to be her boyfriend herself. "At least we're going to a movie. That's a boyfriend/girlfriend thing, right?" she had asked Tony.

"I know he can't take a hint, but that question screams of desperation."

"Oh screw you."

She was lost in thought when she noticed that he was staring at her. She looked back at him, and he looked away quickly. She rubbed her arms, becoming very self-conscious of her scars. When she had cut herself, she had been so full of self-hatred, she didn't care how she would carry the scars. Now they were ugly blemishes on what could have been nice, smooth skin. And being right next to her very in the know crush made it all the more embarrassing.

She looked back at him, noticing that he had a big grin on his face. What was he grinning about? Was it her? Was he smiling because he was thinking about her? She saw him look over at her, noticing she was staring at him. He blushed, looking away. Her heart started beating faster.

After sitting together silently with romantic tension hovering between them, they arrived at the theater. Getting out, she saw him take a deep breath, as though he were preparing himself.

"For what…?" Her thoughts died in her head. She looked at the theater. She realized that Clay had worked here with Hannah. She felt bad for not realizing how big of a deal it was that he invited her here.

"You okay?" she asked, trying to hide the gentle concern.

"Yeah," he replied, his words sounding disembodied, as though he wasn't actually saying it.

They walked in together in silence, though their hands never met.

Clay was uneasy when he walked through his old workplace, but once the movie started, his mind was taken off of Hannah, and he opened up. He was so excited to see Guardians Vol. 2, he could barely suppress his mirth. Chris Pratt was a great fit for Starlord, and the portrayal of Drax was hilarious. Also, I am Groot.

His excitement was unabated as they left the theater. Skye seemed to enjoy herself too. "I really enjoy Nebula. She had it hard, and she went through hell, but I think despite her faults, she such a good character. Yondu too."

"I agree. That was a much, much better portrayal of both of them than in the comics."

They talked all the way back to her house, and then sat in the car for another thirty minutes, just talking about nerdy things. Finally, with the conversation winding down, Clay said, "Well, that was nice. We should definitely see more movies together."

"Yeah, definitely," she echoed.

A silence fell between them, and Clay's heart began to race as he realized that they were staring into each other's' eyes. He felt his cheeks get warm. Finally he broke the gaze, and, looking at his clock, realized it was 11:45.

"Crud, I have to get home, or my parents will freak."

"Oh…"

"This was nice. Thank you."

"... Clay…"

"Hmm?"

"...Oh, nevermind… this was a great night. Thank you."

Skye got out of the car, turned, and smiled, and waved. Clay drove off as she started to turn. It really was a great night.

Skye watched Clay for half of the movie. Once it got going, he came out of his slump and really started enjoying himself. She watched as the emotions lit up on his face, shifting back and forth as the movie progressed.

It reminded her of before high school. Clay was such an animated person back then. Then, during their freshmen and half of their sophomore year, Clay stopped showing all those emotions. She didn't realize it at the time, but she recognized the bullying, being called a faggot and having the jocks pick on him, really messed with him. She felt bad that she hadn't realized how he was feeling, but she had felt abandoned and bullied at that time too. Hell, she still felt it, her scars were evidence enough, though she didn't blame Clay anymore.

As the movie progressed, Skye took greater interest in the story. She did want to see this movie for herself. It's not like she was dragged to the movies by her boyfrie…

"Projecting much?" she thought to herself.

Returning from her thoughts to the movie, she found herself mesmerized by the plot. Finally, the movie came to its end, they stayed through the credits to see the teaser for the next Guardians. Finally, with a bated breath, they excitedly talked about the movie, making their way back to his car.

They talked and talked about nerdy things, and Skye found her heart beating just a bit faster as she felt a connection with Clay that she hadn't felt since the last year of junior high. She was mesmerized by his ecstatic expressions, his joy and his passion.

Finally, after sitting in the driveway of her house for who knows how long, the conversation began to wind down. "Well, that was nice. We should definitely see more movies together."

"Yeah, definitely," she echoed. She would like that very much.

A silence fell between them, and Skye's heart raced as she looked into his eyes. "Oh, shit, here we go, it's happening. It's happening!" she screamed to herself in her thoughts. She was so ready for this, so ready for them. 3-4 years ready.

He started blushing, and she noticed his breath getting heavier. Then, as though a switch flipped, he looked down at his phone, saying, "Crud, I have to get home, or my parents will freak."

"Oh…" she sighed, disappointed.

"This was nice. Thank you."

"... Clay…" she asked him, daring herself to do it.

"Hmm?"

She chickened out, "...Oh, nevermind… this was a great night. Thank you."

She got out of the car glumly, then turned and put on a nice face for Clay, waving. As he drove off, she cursed herself, "Chickenshit, that's what that was. Damnit, why didn't he kiss me? Why didn't I kiss him? Gah!"

Moping, she walked back inside. Going to her room, she looked down at her phone, seeing that Tony had texted her, "What's up?"

"Not much, just got home from the theater."

"How was your date?"

"Ugh, I wouldn't call it that."

"What happened?"

"Mr. Socially Awkward and I stared each other down in silence after we talked for an hour straight, and neither of us bucked up enough courage to kiss the other."

"You know you are gonna have to be the one to make the first move, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I was just hoping he would do it first, because I can't tell if he wants me as a friend or something more."

"Oh, he wants you as something more."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I'm texting him too."

There was something stereotypical about the situation that made Skye grin, but she returned to the matter at hand.

"What did he say?"

"He is gushing like a fountain, saying he had one of the best nights of his life."

Skye paused, rereading the text over again. "I'm gonna have to be the one that initiates it then," she thought to herself.

Texting Tony back, she said, "Well, could you imply that I like him?"

"Why don't you just tell him that?"

"I dunno, he's my crush. I'd feel weird."

"No, you're afraid of rejection. He won't say no, you know that now."

"Ugh, fine. I'll do it. Not over text though. In person."

"Good, I hope it goes well. You two could use a win."

"Thanks."

Skye took a deep breath and exhaled, steeling herself. She thought about Clay, how much she wanted him. How much she'd always wanted him. Now she finally felt like she was ready to do it, to ask him out.

Her phone buzzed, another text from Tony, "Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Alex Standall died from his gunshot wound."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, a little about me, this is my first fanfic, so I am not very well acquainted with all the particulars. That being said, this story is largely finished. My plan is a two day release schedule, time permitting.**

 **Enjoy!**

Clay stared at his phone, not believing what he was reading. Alex Standall. Dead.

"Most likely a suicide." The words rang in his head. His head spun. He put down his phone and sat back in his chair. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought about Alex. Of all the people on Hannah's list, he liked Alex the most. He didn't seem like a jerk, like the rest.

He thought about the tapes, and something broke in him. "Fuck those damn tapes. Why the fuck would you do that to us, Hannah? We all blame ourselves for what YOU did. You killed yourself, no one else did. Alex wasn't right in what he did, but he didn't deserve your death on his hands. Now he is dead because of this bullshit."

Tears streamed down his face. "Fuck you Hannah. I liked you, I cared for you. You never gave me the chance to show you how I felt, and then you killed yourself."

He cried to himself. He was so sick of feeling responsible for things that were not his fault.

He sat in the darkness of his bedroom, his resentment festering, replacing self-hatred and angst.

Looking at his phone, he realized Skye had texted him. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he opened his messages.

"I had a great time tonight. Do you wanna hang out tomorrow? I work in the morning, but I get off at 5. If you wanna meet me there, Tony and Brad were gonna go out to get something to eat with me."

Clay sighed, and texted back, "Definitely."

He laid back in his chair and was grateful for Skye. That was exactly what he needed.

Skye had her plan: Clay was going to come towards the end of her shift, and then they were going to go out to get something to eat with Tony and Brad. After that, well, going to the park late at night sounded like the perfect place for her and Clay to… have some "fun".

It's not like she was easy, not at all, but if things progressed like that, she wouldn't say no. Not to Clay anyways. Besides, she doubted he would go that far. He was pretty damn innocent.

"How about we focus on French kisses instead of Australian kisses, thirsty girl," she thought to herself.

She came out of her reverie to see she had a customer. It was Tyler Down. She had never seen him in here before. She barely knew him, only that he took pictures for the school, and that Clay mentioned that he was on Hannah's tapes.

He walked straight up to her, and said, "You're friends with Clay Jensen, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You'd be a lot better off without him. Without anyone who knew Hannah Baker."

A tinge of madness laced his voice.

"Okay…?"

"Just stay away from him. He'll end up like Alex. They all will."

Skye was left speechless as Tyler walked out. She didn't know what to say to that. Disturbed, she went back to work. She resolved to tell Clay, but not today.

Towards the end of her shift, Clay came in, got a coffee, and sat at a table, waiting for her shift to end. Skye noticed that he seemed aggravated by something, but he didn't say. She assumed it was about Alex's death.

Finally, the clock struck 5, and she was free. Walking up to him, she said, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah…"

He still seemed distracted as they walked to the car. Getting in, Clay seemed to be in a fog. Concerned, Skye asked him, "What's going on? Are you doing okay?"

"Not really."

"You wanna talk about it?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I suppose. Did you hear about Alex?

"Yeah. I hardly knew him. He was on the tapes, wasn't he?"

"He was. He felt so guilty over what he had done to Hannah, it's probably why he…" he trailed off.

"He killed himself."

"Yeah. The thing was that he was a great guy. He made a mistake, for sure, but I don't think he meant to hurt her."

He was silent for a moment.

"You know, it pisses me off."

"That he killed himself?"

"No, that just makes me sad. Hannah's tapes piss me off. She was suffering, and I understand that, but not only did her death devastate the people who care for her, she made those damn tapes, putting the blame on everyone else. Alex and I, we made mistakes, but she put us on the same damn list as Bryce fucking Walker. Like, what the fuck Hannah? You thought so lowly of me that you put me on the same list as your rapist? Fuck you, Hannah."

Clay's tirade silenced Skye, and she sat in silence. She was wrong initially about Hannah. She wasn't some slut, and she'd been through stuff she wouldn't ever wish on anyone else. That being said, she sided with Clay. While the stuff about Bryce needed to come out from her, she had no right in taking it out on Clay. He was a good person.

"You definitely didn't belong on that list. That wasn't fair of her. None of it was fair. I'm sorry you've had to go through this."

Clay sighed, "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to listen to me whine. I guess I just was feeling like I was coming to terms with her death and the tapes, and Alex's death reopened the old wounds."

"You're fine, Clay. You've been through a lot. You don't have to apologize. If doing it makes you feel better, I'll listen to you whine whenever you want."

"Oh, I whine a lot, so you might want to take that back before you regret it."

They smiled at his lighthearted joke. They shared the rest of the drive in silence.

Tony and Brad showed up 15 minutes late to dinner. "He kept fussing over my look," Brad explained. Tony looked like he was straight out of Grease, as per his standard. Girls sitting in other booths ogled him as he walked by. When he took Brad's hand, some of them looked disappointed, while the rest became even more interested.

Skye and Clay sat next to each other, with Tony and Brad across from them.

Skye, Tony and Clay ordered pop, and Brad used a fake ID to get a beer. The four of them talked about things of no real consequence but of utmost importance to each of them. The night wore on, and soon, they were the last ones in the restaurant. Finally, the wait staff asked them to leave because they wanted to go home.

Tony and Brad split off from them, heading to their car. Skye and Clay headed back to her car. Getting in, Clay smiled at her and said, "Thanks for inviting me out tonight. I needed this."

Smiling back, Skye said, "No problem. Believe it or not, I enjoy spending time with you."

Skye stared into his dark eyes, like the night before. Clay's hand sat on the console. Taking a chance, she put her hand on his. His eyes widened, her heart began racing. The air was electric. She pushed back her hair, leaning over slowly. Her breath grew unsteady. Finally taking the hint, he leaned in.

Inches now separated them, and the anticipation became too much. Skye moved forward quickly, kissing Clay. Their mouths remained closed, until Skye opened hers, her tongue on his lips. He took the hint and granted her access. Their tongues swirled around each other, and their breathing became heavy. Her hands rose up, running through his hair. One hand on her jaw, his other running up and down her back, moving precariously close to her butt.

Skye thought that this was the most perfect moment of her life. It was as if all her troubles were being unburdened, at least for the time being.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of kissing, they broke off. They leaned their heads against each other, gasping for air. Clay looked up at her, and Skye felt herself blushing. He had this look that made her weak at the knees.

"Wow," he breathed.

"I know, right?" she smiled.

"That was…" he trailed off, lost for words.

"Amazing," she finished.

"Yeah," he said, turning and sitting back in his chair.

She stared at him for a moment, looking up and down his body. "Well, that was fun," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, no joke. I'm sorry, I'm still in shock."

When she looked at him confused, he continued, "I've had a crush on you for a while now. I just have been too chicken to do or say anything. Then, freshman year, well… I just felt like no one liked me, and that I was all alone. I'm sorry I've ignored you."

Skye sat in shock, then said, "All that time, I thought you pushed me away because you were becoming a different person, with a different crowd. I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you."

"I guess things can happen right in front of our faces and we'll never know."

Skye put her hand on his, and he turned it and held it. They smiled at each other. "So," Skye began, "I think this makes us 'together'."

Clay smiled even bigger, looked at her, and said, "I think you might be right," and leaned over to kiss her again.


	3. Chapter 3

Clay sat back in his chair, thinking about his night. He should have been getting ready for school, but he was too busy daydreaming about him and Skye. The way she felt, the way she smelled, the way she looked: it was all intoxicating. Brought back to reality by his mom calling for him from downstairs, he tied his shoes, got up, and headed out.

When he got downstairs, his mom called to him, "Clay, dear, come to the kitchen. There are some men who'd like a word with you."

Going to the kitchen, he was startled to see two police officers sitting at the table. "Mr. Jensen, thank you for joining us," the older officer said, "If you don't mind, we'd like to have a conversation with you at the station."

"What is this about?" his mom asked.

"We'd like to have a conversation about Alex Standall. We think his death may have been a murder."

"I don't think-" his mom started, but Clay interrupted.

"I'll go."

His mom looked at him concerned. "I want to go if it means we can figure out who killed him."

"Thank you, son," the officer said. Looking at his mom, he said, "I'm sorry for this inconvenience, but we need all the help we can get."

Clay walked out with the officers, and got in the back of the car.

At the station, the officers took him to a waiting room, where he sat for a couple of minutes alone until an officer came in and sat across from him.

Clay sat up, and the officer opened a folder, filled with papers and a picture of Alex.

"Where were you on the night Alex Standall was shot?" she began.

"Out at the movie theaters, and then I stayed out until 11:45 with my girlfriend."

"And she can corroborate this?"

"Yes."

"What is her name?"

"Skye Miller."

"Okay," she paused, "Do you know anyone who would wish him harm?"

"Not anyone I'm aware of. He was a good person."

"Now, we are aware of a set of tapes that were made by a girl who committed suicide a while back. You were on them, I am to understand?"

"Yes. She instructed that they be passed from individual to individual after her death, and I was the last to receive them. I turned them in after obtaining damning evidence against Bryce Walker."

"Right. And Alex was also listed, correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you know if anyone else who listened to the tapes that might take action based on the content of the tapes."

Clay thought hard, when his mind stopped on Tyler. "Tyler Down was on the tapes. He was obsessed with her, taking pictures of her and stalking her."

"Anyone else?"

"No, there-" Clay was cut off by another officer who entered the room.

"Sorry ma'am, but we have an active shooter at Liberty High."

Skye was walking down the hallways to her second class. She was worried when Clay wasn't in class first period, but she didn't think to much of it. "Where are you?" she texted him.

The school was in it's usual buzz of activity. People walked by, never actually understanding what's going on inside each other's minds.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. Tyler Down stood there, his arm on her shoulder, his face a mixture of fear and determination.

"Where is Jensen?"

"What?"

"Where. Is. Jensen?"

"I don't know. Get your hand off of me, please."

Another boy came up; it was Ryan Shaver. "Hey Tyler, she said leave her alone."

Skye saw something snap in Tyler, and he reached down into his pocket and pulled out a gun. Skye barely had time to do anything when she heard the first shot. She stood there in shock, and watched as blood oozed from the wound.

Ryan dropped to the ground, and people all around her started running and screaming. Skye wanted to move, but she stood there, terrified. Tyler looked back at her, with a calm face, and said, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. And I'll make Clay's death as painless as possible."

"Give this to the police. It's my 'manifesto'."

Tyler ran off, and gunshots echoed down the hallway. All she could do was stand and cry silent tears."

"School Shooting in Progress at Liberty High School"

Clay read the headlines in bitter shock. He still couldn't believe what he was reading. After reading the headline on the TV, he blew up Skye's phone, chanting his hopes like a mantra, "Please be okay, please be okay."

Finally, she answered. She was crying hysterically, taking shallow, staggered breaths in between sobs.

"Skye, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

More hysterical sobs came.

"Just stay there if you are safe, I'm on my way."

Clay told the investigator, who was grabbing paperwork furiously, that he wanted to get to the school as soon as possible, because his girlfriend was there. She mentioned that she was heading over there, and that she'd drive him.

Getting into the passenger seat, Clay sat with clenched fists, his heart pounding as he contemplated what was happening. The police scanner was a mess of conversations, until an officer called, "Suspect down."

Finally, they pulled up to the school. "Get out and go over there. I have to go into the crime scene."

Walking over to the mass of students, Clay spotted Skye sitting on the back of an ambulance. Her shirt had bloodstains on it, and her expression was blank. As soon as he saw her, he sprinted to her. As he neared, she finally moved, looking up. When she saw him, her expression became that of relief and sadness, tears falling out of her eyes.

Finally, they came together holding each other. "I thought I lost you," she cried repeatedly, her face buried in his shoulder, tears coming profusely.

"Shhh, I'm here, I'm okay," he consoled her.

"Where were you?"

"The police came to ask me questions about Alex's death."

She hugged him tighter, "Thank God."

"What happened to you? Are you alright? Is that your blood?"

"No, I'm fine. It's Ryan Shaver's blood. I dragged him out after… after…" she broke down into tears.

At that moment, a paramedic came up hurriedly. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Clay responded.

"We need this ambulance. There's a girl who's in critical condition."

Clay and Skye stepped out of the way as quickly as possible. A paramedic rushed forward with a gurney. On it sat Jessica Davis.

Clay's mind reeled, and he became lightheaded. Jessica Davis. Ryan Shaver. Clay felt his heart bottom out. "The people on the tapes," he said aloud. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Skye looked at him with big eyes, as though she had come to some terrifying conclusion. "That's why he asked me where you were."

"Who asked where I was?"

"Tyler Down," she said, a certain hollowness to her words. He wanted to know where you were, then Ryan came up, tried to get Tyler out of my face, and the Tyler pulled out a gun and…"

"Oh no. Oh God no. No," Clay began to say, a realization of pure horror coming to him. "It's all my fault!"

"What do you mean?"

"I broke him. I was the one who took that photo of him. I didn't mean to hurt him, I just wanted to show him how Hannah felt. He was obsessed over her, and I pushed him over the edge."

Tears streamed down his face as Skye comforted him. They stood together in silence.

Seven people died that day, Courtney, Marcus, Mr. Porter, Ryan, Sheri, Zach, and Tyler, who killed himself after the police arrived. Jessica was in critical care, and hovered between life and death, but pulled through in the end. In addition to the seven who died that day, it came out that Alex had been murdered by Tyler, who planted the gun. His testimony in his manifesto and the absence of gunpowder residue on Alex's hands confirmed this.

Clay attended their funerals, silently bearing his guilt. Skye accompanied him, trying to comfort him. He finally came to peace with himself after spending time with Jessica in the hospital. He'd hold onto the guilt, but he was no longer crippled by it. It would remind him of how he needed to keep moving on.

The aftermath of the shooting left the school under national scrutiny. The school board fired the principal and an emergency levy was passed to pay for a new student program that afforded students regular psychiatric evaluations and support. The school as a whole was still broken, but the pieces were finally being put back together and fixed.

In addition to the levy, the school awarded a million dollars to the families of the students killed, and the Hannah Baker case was finally settled by the school, granting the Baker's a one and a half million dollar settlement. Small consolations for such terrible losses, but the beginning of the healing process. A memorial was made for the shooting, and small plaque was placed outside the school in memory of Hannah.

Finally, Bryce Walker was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Things started to seem to be coming back together.

 **Not over yet!**


	4. Chapter 4

Skye woke up with a start. A cold sweat dripped down her face, and she shivered as memories came unbidden to her mind. Scenes of red painted on her hands, the report of gunfire as it echoed down the hallway. The madness in the eyes of her nightmare, a maniacal grin on his contorted face. The creeping feeling of a terror unstoppable in its wrath.

Skye held her hands to her head, trying to suppress the demons that had their hold on her tired mind.

Getting up, she walked to the bathroom, searching for something to alleviate her duress. In the top shelf, she found her dad's sleeping pills. Popping two, she went back to bed, hoping the demons didn't return to steal her from her restless sleep.

-:- -:- -:-

Skye drifted from class to class, practically sleepwalking. At lunch, she made it to the table before Clay did, and was woken up by him.

"Hey, you doing alright?"

"Yeah," she lied. Three months had passed, and almost every night she woke up. Her night terrors were unending.

Clay seemed unconvinced. His face betrayed his concern over her situation. He affectionately caressed the side of her head with his hand, and she leaned into the touch, her mind at ease. He was her rock.

"Clay, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a while."

"Have you talked to a doctor?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not made of money, Clay."

"You don't have insurance?"

"Therapy isn't covered."

Clay seemed to digest the situation in his mind. Finally, he said, "Do you want to spend the night at my place? You always seem calmer with me."

"Well then, that's the strongest you've ever come onto me. Inviting me to bed? I think I might enjoy that, but I doubt that'll fix the sleep problem?"

Clay's face turned red with embarrassment. "Oh, uh, I didn't, uh…"

He then got very silent, and he realized what she was really saying. "Wait…"

Skye laughed obnoxiously, her exhaustion embellishing on her mirth. People around them looked at her as though she were the most unusual thing they'd ever encountered. Settling down after a few moments, she came back to the moment, finding Clay looking at her in shock.

"Tell you what, Clay, I'll 'spend the night on your birthday, since it's this Saturday."

"No," Clay responded. When she looked hurt, he started back up, "It's not that I'm not excited by the prospect, it's just that, well…" he trailed off, a sheepish look on his face.

"Well what?"

"I just, erm, I don't know how-" he was cut off by Skye.

"Oh please, you think I'd know what to do? I may have a 'bad girl' look, but I know as little as you."

"Oh. Um, okay. I guess then so long as you want to."

"Clay, seriously, I want you, okay? You're cute."

"Can I be any other adjective?"

She looked him up and down, "Okay, you're adorable."

"Ugh."

She snickered at his distress. "Oh get over it, pretty boy. Those looks are getting you in bed with your smoking hot girlfriend."

"Finally some adjectives I agree with."

She rolled her eyes, smiling.

-:- -:- -:-

The rest of the day, Skye seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier, as though their conversation had rejuvenated her. Clay was relieved to see her like that, but he was still concerned that something was still wrong. She seemed overeager to commit to having sex. Not that he didn't appreciate her comments. It really did feel good to know that she found him attractive like that.

After school, he kissed her goodbye as she went to work and he went home. He walked that day because his car was making some noises, so he left it with his parents' mechanic, Jack. He didn't mind so much, it was a nice day for a walk. The air was warm, the wind was gentle, but enough to take the edge off of the sun, and there were only a handful of clouds, little wads of cotton against a beautiful azure sky.

He walked the same way home that he always had. He walked through the familiar streets, soaking in the memories that flooded him as he passed landmarks of his childhood. He thought of Skye, and he remembered them as kids. He thought about how much fun they had, how much they still have. His heart fluttered thinking about her.

"I love her."

As he rounded a corner, someone was right around the bend, standing in front of him.

"Give me your money," the person said, a knife at Clay's stomach.

"Justin?"

Justin's face was worn, as though he had been on some hard drugs. He had a crazy look in his eyes, a desperate look. At being recognized, he freaked out.

Clay felt the knife plunge deep into his stomach, and he cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

-:- -:- -:-

Skye's heart was racing, tears at the corners of her eyes. She was a mess, driving as fast as her car could take her to the hospital. "Please be okay, please be okay," she chanted, her heart racing. Pulling into the hospital parking, she rushed inside the ER waiting room, finding a panic stricken Mr. and Mrs. Jensen.

Noticing her, Clay's parents beckoned her over. Mrs. Jensen seemed to be frantic, while his dad seemed to have his emotions well under control.

"How is he?"

"They still have him in surgery. There's a lot of damage to his stomach, and he lost a lot of blood," his dad replied.

Skye's heart dropped even further. He had to be alright. She didn't know what she'd do if he died. The tears that had been threatening now came like rain, her mascara streaking down her face.

Clay's mom hugged her as tears came down her face. A half hour, forty five minutes, an hour, up to two hours passed by, with no answer to their fears. Finally, two and a half hours later, a nurse ran up to them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jensen?" When they nodded, she continued, "Your son is going to pull through."

An exasperated cry of relief came from Skye, and Clay's parents hugged each other.

"You can see him in a little bit, we are still dressing his stitches and getting him into a room."

"Thank you so much," Mr. Jensen managed to say through his relief.

They waited another 15 or so minutes, when the nurse came back for them, leading them back to Clay. He lay on the bed, asleep, his face pale. Skye walked up to his side, squeezing his hand. He was still with her.

They waited with him for the rest of the day. Skye heard his parents in the hallway, talking about how they were going to organize who was staying where.

"I have an important case right now. The case is pretty high profile, and the DA is watching how I prosecute this case. I can't miss a day in court.

"That's fine, but I have to be able to get-" Clay's dad started, when Skye walked out of the room.

"I can stay," she announced.

"Skye, you don't have to-"

"I need to. I want to. Clay means a lot to me, and I want to be here for him. I don't think I'll be getting any sleep at home knowing he's here, and I can afford a few days away from school: the year is practically over anyways, and I have no more tests."

Clay's parents looked at each other, then back at Skye. "If that's what you want, we aren't going to kick our son's girlfriend out. We trust you, and are so happy he has you, so if you want to stay with him, by all means, go ahead," his mom said.

"We'll be around as much as our schedules allow us," his dad chimed in, "When he wakes up, call us."

"Of course."

After a moment's pause, Clay's mom hugged her, saying, "You are an amazing young lady. Thank you for staying with him."

"I'm just glad he stayed with us."

His parents smiled, then said their goodbyes. Returning to the room, she checked on Clay, then walked out to the main desk, asking what the cafeteria times were and what was available to her. Getting dinner, she came back to the room. A nurse was checking on him when she entered.

"Oh, hello."

"Hi," the nurse replied.

After sitting down with her food, Skye looked up to the nurse, asking, "So, when will Clay wake up?"

"We put him on some pretty strong stuff, that's why he hasn't woken up yet. He should be up tomorrow morning, maybe in the middle of the night if the medicine starts to wear off early."

Finishing what she was doing, she turned to her, saying, "If he wakes up, you can call us with this button on the wall here. If you need anything, we will be down the hall at the main desk. Would you like a pillow and a blanket for the night?"

"Please."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

After a moment, the nurse returned with a blanket and a pillow, and then showed Skye the visitor's bed. Skye thanked her, then sat to eat her food.

The night wore on, and Skye decided she would at least try to sleep. She stared at Clay as she lay there, and her mind finally drifted off into slumber.

-:- -:- -:-

Clay woke up feeling groggy, as though his mind was in a fog. Looking around, he saw that he was in a dark hospital room. His mind raced, and he remembered his circumstances. Justin's face, the knife in his gut, the unyielding and mind-breaking pain in his stomach, the warm, hard concrete as he fell over in pain, his blood on his hands, marring his desperate attempt to use his touch screen on his phone. The feeling of his fading conscious, the distant sound of an ambulance, then darkness.

He shivered, and he noticed a pain in his stomach, dull but persistent. Looking around the room, he saw Skye on the bed next to his. His heart broke as he watched the pain in her expressions, reactions to visions he knew not of. He said in a soft voice, barely able to command his tongue, "I love you."

Whatever pain her subconscious was in seemed to dissapate, leaving her calmed and quiet. He smiled, then laid back his head. He was so very tired, and sleep called to him as his eyes drooped ever lower.

Clay woke with excruciating pain his stomach. He stifled a cry, resulting in a primal grunt, but it was enough to wake up Skye. She rose with a start, then, noticing he was awake, asked him, "Are you okay?"

His stomach answered with a throb of pain that broke his silence, resulting in a loud cry of anguish. Skye rose quickly, and hit a button on a wall. A tone played, then a nurse came over the intercom, "Nurse's desk, what can I help you with?"

"He's in a severe amount of pain ma'am," Skye responded.

"I'll send a nurse down to help."

A few seconds later, a nurse walked in, and she asked, "How much pain is it on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"20," he responded.

The nurse looked at his chart, then grabbed a vial of medicine, drawing it with a syringe, and injecting it into his IV tube. "That should do it," she said, "You were close to your medication time anyways. I'm going to talk to the doctor about maybe giving you a higher dose or a different medication.

As the nurse talked, Clay felt his pain leave him slowly, and was replaced by a haze that came over his mind. He thanked her, and she walked out.

Skye put her hand on his, and looked him dead in his eyes. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"I'm better, though I've been better too."

He smiled at her, and she returned it with a concerned smile. He turned his hand, taking hers. They intertwined their fingers, and he rubbed the back of her hand with his. She came closer to him, leaning over, and she kissed him sweetly, the affectionate gesture lingering. She finally broke the kiss, and sat next to him. She continued to hold his hand.

After a minute of sitting in silence, his heart welling up with emotion, a tear formed in his eyes, and he said, with conviction to move mountains, "I love you."

Tears formed in her eyes, and she smiled and wiped them away. "I love you too


End file.
